Typically infants and young children are placed in seats of strollers or carriages for walking by their parents or guardians. Children also often ride in car seats and other vehicular seats as well as being placed in various types of non-vehicular seats. In cold or in inclement weather, children are wrapped in blankets or buntings prior to their outing and are then placed on the seat. Seats typically have various designs of three point or five point harnesses or straps such as a waist strap, a shoulder strap and a crotch strap attached thereto and a strap connector. Typically only the waist strap is fastened around the blanket in an attempt to securely hold the child in place. A problem is that a child wrapped in a blanket cannot be properly restrained because there is no convenient provision in the blanket for the crotch strap of the seat for adequately positioning between the child's legs whereby the child is inadequately held in place by only the waist strap. If the child is not securely fastened to the seat, the child can tumble out of the seat and become injured. Another problem is that the blanket cannot provide adequate body coverage for the child and can dislodge and may become entangled in the wheels of a vehicle such as a stroller and become soiled or damaged.
A practical bunting, for which there is an unfulfilled need, wherein the bunting capable of being selectively retained in a seat with either a three point harness or a five point harness so that the bunting remains in the seat after the child is removed and a bunting which permits the bunting to be opened without unstrapping the child or without unduly exposing the child to the elements and cold drafts, is not available.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,458 to Lesesne, shows a bunting for a seat with a drawstring hood with flaps and a drawstring on the bottom edge. A single zipper completely separates the bunting to access the interior. A disadvantage of this patent is that drawstrings can be dangerous for use with children who can become entangled in them and can be choked to death. Also, the single zipper which completely separates the bunting to access the interior unduly allows the child to be exposed to the elements and to cold drafts and also prevents partial tending to the child's lower body such as the legs, for example. Furthermore, no provision for or recognition of the need for shoulder straps is addressed, thereby making the design unsafe.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,061 to Kenner discloses a protective garment type of cover for carriages having arm openings and a music system similar, in some respects, to the previous mentioned design. A problem with Kenner's garment is that the provided arm openings expose a child's arms and hands to the elements. Also, Kenner's garment is designed to fit over handles of a carriage which makes it cumbersome to install as well as making it impractical for use on a seat with straps. Furthermore, the use of a music system adds to the cost of the design.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,766 to Benway discloses a stroller blanket, similar to the previous designs, which is attached to handles and to the frame of the stroller which is cumbersome to use, costly to manufacture and impractical for use independently without the stroller.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,738 to Menditto discloses a stroller blanket of a generally rectangular shape; U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,724 to Barnes discloses a multi-purpose baby wrap made from a full sized baby blanket; U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,095 to Schneider discloses a multi-function baby wrap and U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,885 to Lunt discloses a one-piece infant bunting with hook and loop fasteners.
None of the above prior art devices disclose a bunting for a seat with a draft shield and a bunting with a sealed bottom which does not completely separate and one which allows dual accessing of the child therein via a zipper means and a bunting which may be readily and selectively detachable from the seat and a bunting which is not necessarily associated with a seat and a bunting which is simple in design and is easy to use.
In view of the above mentioned problems and limitations associated with conventional bunting and blankets, it was recognized by the present inventors that there is an unfulfilled need for an improved bunting for attachment to a seat which is simple in design, practical, fun to use and is economically manufactured and which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art devices.